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A. A. BEOKETT.

- FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 290,311. Patented Dec. 18,1883.-

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ALBERT A. BECKETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNKELLY, OF SAME PLACE.

FlRE-E SCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,311, dated December18, 1883,

Application filed April 3, 1883.

.10 aZZ whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. Bnoxnrrr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements infire-escapes.

The object of my improvement is to facilitate the escape of people froma burning building. I attain this object by means of the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of the various parts of my device, whichwill be more fully pointed out and described in the specification andclaims, reference being had to the drawings accompanying thisapplication and forming part of the same, in which Figure 1 is aperspective View of my invention, showing the truck in place withstandards extended and netting spread. Fig. 2 is a detail View of thesame, showing the position of pulleys and ropes. Fig. 3 is a detailview,

showing the wedge.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. I

Referring to the drawings, letter A represents a truck; B and B, thesills, to which are pivoted the standards a a and b b. The bed strips orsills B and B are formed of sufficient length and thickness for strengthand utility, and are suitably mounted on a trucln On the upper faces ofsills B and B, a short distance from their ends, are secured metalstrips (6 and b each of said strips being provided centrally with'projecting ears, having perforations for the reception of pivot-pins.

Near the rear ends of sills B and B are secured projecting stakes oruprights 0, formed with U-shaped ends, and braces 0, extending from theinner face of said stakes to the metal strips 1). I I 1 The rear ends ofstrips -B and B are formed with eyebolts of clips 0 into which aresecured the ends of ropes e. The opposite ends of said ropes are securedto eyebolts or clips at. the outer ends of standards I), the inner endsof said standards being shod with metal thimbles b, and terminatingbetween the projecting lips of the metal strips 5 on the sills B and B.

(No model.)

Said standards are provided with a cross-bar, Z, by which they are heldata suitable distance apart. The ends of standardsB and B, where theyconnect with the strips 12 are perforated to receive a pivot-bolt thatpasses through said projecting lips, and by which said standards areheld in place on said sills. Standards a a are formed in a similarmanner with metal thimbles a and connected by pivot-pins to.

metal strips a by means of the projecting ears, as shown.

To the front ends of sills B and B are pivoted loose pulleys g and g anda short distance in rear of strips (t on the under side of said sills,are pivoted loose pulleys g and g. A short distance in rear of sadpulleys g and g are secured projecting stakes (I, having U- shaped endsadapted to receive the standards a when tilted back. Said stakes arestiffened by means of braces d, the upper ends of which are secured tosaid stakes d, and the lower ends of the same to the metal strips a.

Pulleys g and g are pivoted between the cross-bar m and the front axleof the truck, near the center of the same, with sufficient space betweenthe said pulleys to permit the rope f to pass loosely. One end of rope fis secured to the outer end of standard a, and passes down over thepulley g thence rearward around the pulley g, thence forward between thepulleys 9* and 9 to and through the clip-eye h on whiffletree h, thencerearward between the pulleys g and 9 to andaround the pulley g, thenceforward over pulley g, and up to the outer end of the opposite standarda, where its end is secured.

The outer ends of standards a a and b b are connected by means of a wirerope or cord, or they may be joined by means'of rods of metal or wood.Depending and secured to said ropes or cords is a netting, formed ofwire or other suitable material, D, and extending downward from saidropes or cords are ladders 7c and k, the outer ends of said laddersbeing secured to said ropes, and the inner ends of the same secured tothe sills B and B.

For the purpose of securing the standards a a and b b and the nettingDin any desired position' for use, a wedge, O, is formed with concavedsides, and adapted to fit'tightlybetween the pulleys g and g and whenforced between the same to tightly grip the doublerope f, therebypreventing any movement of the same, and holding the standards,net-ting, and ladders securely in place,

Before starting to a fire the standards are low ered by slacking up theropef until they rest in the U-shaped ends of stakes c c and d (I, whenthe whillletrees k are secured to a hook under the seat 2''. The deviceis driven to the burning building, backed up to the building or near tothe same. \Vhenthebrakej is applied, the whiflletrees h are released andthe team driven forward, or the team unhooked and the rope f pulled outby hand untilthe standards a a and I) I) are drawn by means of ropefinto the position shown in Fig. 1. When the netting D is properlystretched and all the parts are in place, the wedge O is inserted by theattendant between the ropes f and the pulleys 1* and when all the partsare securely held in place. From the open windows above any person canjump into or onto the netting D with impunity and safety without fear ofinjury, and then descend in safety by means of the ladders k and k tothe truck, and from thence to the sidewalk or street.

u l By this simple and effective means many people can be saved fromburning buildings that would otherwise be lost.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is- 1. In a fire-truck, the standards a a andbb, havingcross-bars land Z, said standards being pivoted to the frame of saidtruck, the outer ends of the said standards connected to a netting, withmeans for extending and holding the same in place, substantially as andfor thepurpose set forth.

2. In combination, the frame A, the stand ards a a and b b, pivoted, asdescribed, the cross-bars Z and Z, the ropescc, and thenetting D, withthe rope f, pulleys 1 g g g y g", and the wedge O, substantially asshown and specified.

3. In combination, the frame A, mounted on a truck, the standards a aand I) Z), the metal strips (E a and b" If, stakes c c and (Z (Z, ropese e, netting D, and theladders 7t k, with ropef, whililetrees h, pulleysg l g g g g", the brake j, and the wedge C, substantially as shown andspecified.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT A. EEC K131" \litnesses:

ll. .T. ENGLAND, ll. ll. ZEYELY.

